Syllabus for Paleontology [GEOL 311] at USCA, Fall Semester 2015
page 1 of 5 pages
GEOL 311: Paleontology, Fall, 2015, USC Aiken. Syllabus.
For August 24, 2015
Ralph Willoughby, instructor
Daytime telephone:
(803) 564-7010 Cell phone: I will give this verbally.
Campus telephone (During My Office hours ONLY!): (803)-641-3379
Campus Email: ralphw@usca.edu
Office Times: 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Mondays and Wednesdays, Room 207, Science Building. Immediately after class. Other
times when I’m around the Science building. OR by appointment. or Call me or Email me.
PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE to contact me to discuss a problem that relates to this class. Really.
CLASS AND LAB MEETINGS: Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:30 –7:10 pm in Room 216, Science Building
FIELD TRIPS: Attendance on all field trips is mandatory. One short, local Field Trip will be made during the normal class
& lab time.
One or two all-day field trips will be scheduled (they’re not yet on the syllabus!) on a weekend day in early or midsemester.
DESCRIPTION:
This course in paleontology considers:
the origin and evolution of life on Earth;
how evolution happens (how organisms evolve);
major events in Earth history that relate to life on this planet;
the stratigraphic column;
the history of life on Earth;
classification of fossil organisms;
the relationships between fossil organisms and living organisms;
the major taxonomic groups that occur as fossils, including single-celled organisms, microfossils, invertebrates,
vertebrates and plants;
literature and other media searches for information on fossils;
and much more.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will
have examined, sketched and labeled fossils in the laboratory
be able to recognize fossils versus non-fossils (pseudofossils)
be able to recognized the major taxonomic groups of organisms
have seen and collected fossils afield
know how to begin to interpret the taphonomy (history of transport, deposition and diagenesis) of fossils
know how to begin to interpret fossil assemblages
know the stratigraphic column
be able to
read and understand (most of) a professional article about fossils
know how to
know how to research a fossil group,
and
much more.
University Policy: If you have a physical, psychological and/or learning disability which might affect your performance in
this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 126A B&E, (803) 641-3609, as soon as possible. The Disability
Services office will determine appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation.
University Policy for Portable Electronic Devices: The use of any portable electronic devices, including cell phones,
pagers, MP3 players, iPods, etc., during class is not allowed for any reason unless prior approval has been given to a student
from the instructor or unless required for the course. If you are planning to have any of these devices in class, they must be
turned off and stowed away for the duration of the class period. If you use a portable electronic device during a test, quiz, or
other assessment, you are eligible to receive a failing grade on that assignment.
ON THE OTHER HAND 1: This instructor encourages the use of digital electronic visual media for required class
presentations. Just document and show (or tell) your sources for the information you present. Keep a record of what you
cite (Plan Ahead!), and cite your sources in class. You may use your cell phone camera or other digital camera to make lab
images for study purposes or to help make lab drawings. RHW.
ON THE OTHER HAND 2. The ready availability of digital media could make it easy (hypothetically) for an
unscrupulous, unethical student to plagiarize. Be scrupulous and ethical. Do not plagiarize. The same easily-accessed
digital media make it possible for an instructor or professor to compare digital keystrokes against much other digitally
accessible information. RHW
Prerequisite: BIOL A121 (Elementary Biology) or GEOL A101 (Physical Geology)
“Recommended precursor” (it sure would be nice if you have had this course): GEOL A122 (Historical Geology).
If you have not had a course in historical geology, then I recommend that you at least read a recently published
textbook on that subject. Doing so will help you in this course in paleontology.
GEOL 311: Paleontology, Fall Semester, 2013, University of South Carolina – Aiken. Syllabus.
page 2 of 5 pages
Required text: Michael J. Benton and David A. T. Harper, 2009, Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record.
Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, England, U.K., and Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.A. Softcover edition, 592 pages.
Suggested Supplementary Book: John R. Nudds and Paul A. Selden, 2008, Fossil Ecosystems of North America. University
of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. Softcover. I will put a copy of this book on reserve in the library.
Required material for all laboratory drawings: unlined white 8½” x 11” paper, pencil and eraser.
Other Requirements:
Attendance in class and laboratory sessions is required. If an absence is unavoidable, contact the instructor.
Only documented University approved excuses will be allowed. Missed material is the responsibility of the student.
Turn in all laboratory drawings in pencil on unlined white paper.
Laboratory drawings are due two lab periods after the last day of a lab assignment (most lab assignments are two
meetings).
Remark: The text is a guide to the subject matter and will be supplemented by lectures and additional material. Read the
assigned chapter before you come to class. Reading assignments in the text will be tested. Material presented in
lecture will be tested. Class assignments, lectures, class exams, lab assignments, weekly lab assignments and field
trips are all important parts of the course.
Field Trips:
Attendance on all field trips is mandatory.
Field Trip 1: Trace Fossils (during scheduled class time). Visit a nearby exposure with the trace fossil
Ophiomorpha nodosa in upper
Eocene sediments. Dress for field work. Bring some kind of scraper, such as a pocket knife. We will make this field trip
during the first part of a scheduled meeting. Date: During the second or third week of class.
Date: August 31?
Field Trip 2: Paleocene silicified fossils in a road cut in western Sumter County????? Dress for field work and
hiking. We may do some hiking. Bring water or drinks; I’ll bring the cooler. We will make this trip on a weekend day, in the
first part of the course. OR: DO A MUSEUM FIELD TRIP. Date: To be arranged.
Field Trip 3: Eocene Fossils in a limestone quarry in central South Carolina. OR (AND?)
Field Trip 3: Pliocene Fossils in a limestone quarry in Horry County, South Carolina.
Dress for field work. Bring water or drinks; I’ll bring the cooler. We will make this trip on a weekend day, later in the
course and after the weather cools down somewhat. Date: To be arranged.
Student Projects:
Assignment 1. Find a print or online article (newspaper, print magazine, online news source, online magazine, any
other non-professional media) about some aspect of paleontology that reaches public attention. Read your article carefully.
Identify the original source for the information. (If you cannot identify the original source, then find another article.)
Summarize the information in the article. Present the information from the article aloud before the class. Cite your source,
and cite the original source as well. Answer questions from other students and from the instructor about your article. 3 to 5
minutes, spoken presentation. Before your presentation, give the instructor a photocopy or a typed reference for your article.
See Assignment 3 below.
Presentation Day for Assignment 1: Wednesday, September 9.
Assignment 2. The instructor will assign an article in a professional journal. Read the article. Summarize the
article aloud before the class. How much of the article did you understood? What parts of the article did you not understand?
3 to 5 minutes, spoken presentation.
Presentation Day for Assignment 2: Monday, September 14.
Assignment 3. See your Assignment 1. Find the original source for Assignment 1 that you reported on. Use
available library facilities including InterLibrary Loan as necessary. Read the article. Summarize the information in the
article aloud before the class. How does the information presented in the original article differ from the information that was
derived from the article and printed in the outlet for your Assignment 1? 3 to 5 minutes, spoken presentation.
Presentation Day for Assignment 3: Monday, September 28.
Short Paper 1. The instructor will assign a topic in paleontology and one introductory article on that topic from a
professional journal. Research the topic. Find some other articles or books, etc. that relate to your topic. Write a Short Paper
on your topic. Make a Title Page. Your Short Paper will have at least three full, typewritten, double-spaced pages and no
more than four full, typewritten, double-spaced pages (including references) about the topic assigned. Unless your
typewritten page ends exactly at the bottom line of a page, your Short Paper will have either FOUR or FIVE paper pages.
Give the instructor a paper copy of your article.
Due Day for Short Paper 1: October 5.
Short Paper 2. Select a topic in paleontology and a published article on that topic from a professional journal.
Consult with the instructor about your choice of topic. Research the topic. Find some other articles or books, etc. that relate
to your topic. Write a Short Paper on your topic. Length of Short Paper, as before. Give the instructor a paper copy of your
article.
Due Day for Short Paper 2: October 14.
GEOL 311: Paleontology, Fall Semester, 2013, University of South Carolina – Aiken. Syllabus.
page 3 of 5 pages
Term Paper. Talk with the instructor and select a topic in paleontology. Find recent articles or books that relate to
the topic. Your Term Paper will have at least six full, typewritten, double-spaced pages and no more than seven full,
typewritten, double-spaced pages (including references) about the topic assigned. The fast-changing topic of human
evolution is NOT suitable for a term paper in this course.
Due Day for Term Paper: November 16. BEFORE (!) Thanksgiving.
References will include recent publications. DO NOT cite Wikipedia for any assignment. (RHW: Explain why.)
Calendar for Paleontology [GEOL 311] at USCA, Fall Semester 2015
Meeting Class Topic and
Lab
Lab
Date
no.
Chapter in Text
number Subject
Aug 24 (Mon) 1
Welcome to class. First class.
Lab 1 Taphonomy and Trace
Introduction to Paleontology.
Fossils
Paleontology as a science. Chapter 1
Aug 26 (Wed) 2
Elementary Geology. Geologic History.
Lab 1 Taphonomy and Trace
Lecture and handouts.
Fossils
Aug 31 (Mon) 3
Elementary Geology. Geologic History.
Lecture and handouts.
Field Trip 1 Local Trace Fossils
Sept 2 (Wed)
4
Paleontology as a science (revisited). Chapter 1.
Lab 2 Microfossils and Stromatolites
Sept 7 (Mon)

Labor Day. Holiday. No classes. USCA will be closed.
Sept. 9 (Wed)
5
Presentation Day for Assignment 1.
Fossils in time and space. Chapter 2
Lab 2 Microfossils and Stromatolites
Sept 14 (Mon) 6
Presentation Day for Assignment 2: Monday, September 14.
Taphonomy and the fossil record. Chapter 3
Lab 3 Sponges
Sept 16 (Wed) 7
Paleoecology and paleoclimates. Chapter 4
Lab 3 Sponges
Sept 21 (Mon) 8
Macroevolution and the tree of life. Chapter 5
Lab 4 Cnidarians
Sept 23 (Wed) 9
Presentation Day for Assignment 3: Wednesday, September 23.
Fossil form and function. Chapter 6
Lab 4 Cnidarians
Sept 28 (Mon) 10
Mass extinctions and biodiversity loss. Chapter 7
Lab 5 Lophophorates
Sept 30 (Wed) 11
CLASS EXAM ONE
(chapters 1-5)
Lab 5 Lophophorates
Oct 5 (Mon)
12
Due Day for Short Paper 1: Monday, October 5.
The origin of life. Chapter 8
Lab 6 Mollusks
Oct 7 (Wed)
13
Protists. Chapter 9
LAB EXAM ONE (Labs 1-4)
Oct 8 (Thur)
Mid-point in semester. Your mid-term grade might not include Lab Exam One.
Oct 16 (Fri)

A review of the genus Rotularia Defrance, 1827 (Serpulidae, Polychaeta,
Annelida; cosmopolitan, Paleocene and Eocene), its occurrence in
South Carolina, and some lessons learned. Attend My Presentation!
Oct 12 (Mon)
14
Origin of the metazoans. Chapter 10
Lab 6
Mollusks
Oct 14 (Wed)
15
Due Day for Short Paper 2: October 14.
The basal metazoans: sponges and corals.
Chapter 11.
Lab 7 Arthropods
Oct 15-16 (Thu-Fri)
Fall Break, Tentative. No classes Thursday and Friday. No effect on Paleontology.
Oct19 (Mon)
16
Spiralians 1: lophophorates. Chapter 12
Lab 7 Arthropods
Oct 21 (Wed)
17
Spiralians 2: mollusks. Chapter 13.
Lab 8
Echinoderms &
Annelids (RHW notes).
Lab 8 Graptolites
Oct 26 (Mon)
18
Ecdysozoa: arthropods. Chapter 14
Lab 9 Chordates
Oct 28 (Wed)
19
CLASS EXAM TWO (chapters 6-13)
Lab 9
Chordates
Nov 2 (Mon)
20
Deuterostomes: echinoderms and hemichordates.
Lab 10 Plant Fossils
Chapter 15
Nov 4 (Wed)
21
Deuterostomes: echinoderms and hemichordates.
Lab 10 Plant Fossils
Chapter 15
Nov 4 (Wed)
21
Fishes and basal tetrapods. Chapter 16
Lab 11 Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)
Nov 9 (Mon)
22
Dinosaurs and Permian-Mesozoic reptiles.
Lab 11 fossils OR To Be Determined
Chapter 17(A)
Nov 11 (Wed) 23
Lower Mammals. Chapter 17(B)
Lab 11 Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)
fossils OR To Be Determined
GEOL 311: Paleontology, Fall Semester, 2013, University of South Carolina – Aiken. Syllabus.
Nov 16 (Mon)
24
Nov 18 (Wed)
25
Nov 23 (Mon) 26
Nov 25 (Wed)
Nov 30 (Mon) 27
Dec 2 (Wed)
28
Dec 7 - 11 (Mon - Fri) Dec 7? (Mon?) - 29
Grading System:
page 4 of 5 pages
Due Date for Term Paper: November 16.
Higher Mammals. Human Evolution.
Lab 11 ICW fossils OR To Be
Chapter 17(C).
Determined; & lab review
Fossil Plants. Chapter 18
Lab 11 ICW fossils OR To Be
Chapter 17(C).
Determined; lab review
Trace Fossils. Chapter 19
LAB FINAL
(Labs 5-10)
Thanksgiving Holiday. USCA closed.
Diversification of life. Chapter 20
Lab Makeup
Last Day of Paleontology Class. Review.
Final exams
FINAL EXAM IN PALEONTOLOGY. (Chapters 14-20; comprehensive on concepts)
A
B
C
D
F
90-100%
80 - 89%
70 - 79%
60- 69%
<60%
900 – 1000
800 – 899
700 – 799
600 – 699
<600
GEOL 311: Paleontology, Fall Semester, 2013, University of South Carolina – Aiken. Syllabus.
ASSIGNMENT
1
ASSIGNMENT
2
ASSIGNMENT
3
SHORT
PAPER 1
SHORT
PAPER 2
page 5 of 5 pages
SCENARIO
1
YOUR GRADE IN PALEONTOLOGY
SCENARIO
SCENARIO SCENARIO
1
2
2
your
your
individual
maximum
individual
maximum
event
cumulative
event
cumulative
event
cumulative
points
points
as at left
as at left
10
10
15
25
"
"
15
40
"
"
50
90
"
"
50
140
"
"
TERM PAPER
CLASS EXAM
1
CLASS EXAM
2
100
240
"
"
150
390
"
"
160
550
"
FINAL EXAM
200
750
LAB 1
11
11
LAB 2
11
22
"
"
LAB 3
11
33
"
"
LAB 4
11
44
"
"
LAB 5
11
55
"
"
LAB 6
11
66
"
"
LAB 7
11
77
"
"
LAB 8
11
88
"
"
LAB 9
11
99
"
"
LAB 10
11
110
"
"
LAB 11
10
120
"
"
FIELD TRIP 1
15
135
"
"
FIELD TRIP 2
45
180
45
180
FIELD TRIP 3
0
180
45
225
LAB EXAM 1
30
210
30
255
40
295
LAB EXAM 2
40
250
EXTRA CREDIT
RHW Friday Lecture in October
15
One point may be added to neat and thorough lab drawings.
"
155
as at left
750
as at left